Eidos: A Wild High-Tech Goggles Give You Superhero Senses

Wearable computing is exploding. Google Glass has geeks atwitter, Oculus Rift is garnering great reviews from fanboys, and gadget blogs and Wall Street alike are waiting for another aluminum-clad icon to emerge from Apple HQ. However, innovation in this area isn’t confined to billion-dollar companies or VC-funded startups A team of designers from the Royal College of Art are trying to put a new face on wearable computing—literally.

Their creation, Eidos, is a pair of masks that use off-the-shelf sensors and custom software to augment the vision and hearing of their wearers, conferring superhero-ish powers in the process. Technology in the face mask lets users isolate and amplify audio signals of their choosing, the glasses display “ghosted” images of objects in motion, and the unique look of the products will irresistibly draw the attention of any passersby.

The look of these devices has a distinct art school feel, but Team Eigos—comprised of Tim Bouckley, Millie Clive-Smith, Mi Eun Kim and Yuta Sugawara, sees killer apps for many different types of users.

The vision device gives a similar effect to long-exposure photography, revealing otherwise hidden traces of movement, but it does this live, says Clive-Smith. This is remarkable at revealing patterns and allows you to pick out the details of motion you wouldn’t normally realize.

Coaches could use this technology to help players improve their form in real time rather than waiting until after a game to correct bad habits. Choreographers could start adding special effects to their performances combining the elegance of ballet with Michael Bay-inspired special effects. The Eidos audio system would help friends in a busy train station stay focused on each other’s conversation by drowning out the din or help students with learning disabilities better focus on their teacher.

While it might be hard to imagine a coach or first grader wearing these masks, Team Eidos views them as experimental equipment. “The aesthetic is an exploration into the merging of digital technology with the organic form of the body,” says Clive-Smith. “The result is exaggerated wearable form which also highlights the experimental nature of the project.” She notes that the aesthetic of the devices would be changed for applications that required a more sedate appearance.

While Eidos might not have the versatility of Google Glass, nor the outrageous power of Iron Man’s armor, there are some impressive technical ideas at work under the dramatic, 3-D printed veneer. Unlike traditional hearing aids that transmit sound exclusively through the ear canal, Eidos also transmits sounds through the teeth in a process called bone conduction, which creates a sensation that people are speaking directly inside your head. With tweaks to the software the devices could become accessories used at a broadway show or in more mundane, practical settings.

Despite their theatrical appearance, Team Eidos sees their project as serious business and is hard at work on productizing the technology. They’are also putting their avant garde taste to work on taste buds and creating a new product that will alter the perception of flavor.